this is what has become of the ancient city. he has lost his home and his job, so every day he sifts through filth and stench so he can feed his children. life is really bad. there is no work and money. that is why i come here to collect and rubbish. this revolution was supposedly about a better future and a better tomorrow, and many residents still cling to that hope, and they believe the ongoing fighting, not just in the city but also in the countryside, is worth the struggle. a petrol now comes from a barrel at the side of the road. three times the price it was before the revolution. people queued for hours in the cold for bread, now 10 times more expensive and in short supply. the bombardment has subsided, but the suffering has not, and the fighting has moved elsewhere. we joined the rebels on an operation, running across open ground to avoid sniper fire. now the fighters are laying siege to an infantry training school. the free syrian army controls most of the land here, and so the 300 government troops inside know they are